An appeal from Urus-MartanRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus - People of the Urus-Martan district, southwest of the capital Grozny, addressed an appeal to Attorney General of the Russian Federation Vladimir Ustinov, head of Chechnya’s pro-Moscow administration Akhmad Kadyrov, Chechnya’s Military Commander Sergey Kizyum and human rights organizations, calling for an end of the abuses and barbarous behaviour of Russian soldiers towards civilians, particularly the youths.
In the appeal they seek information on the whereabouts of the young people who have been taken away against their will and illegally kept in detention by Russian soldiers.
The appeal was signed also by the relatives of the twenty-six unaccounted-for people detained by Russian soldiers in last three months. The bodies of thirteen of them have been recently found around the Urus-Martan district.
On December 14, 2001, seven bodies were found on the edge of the road leading from Rostov-on-Don to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The following six bodies were identified by the relatives: Vakha Tukayev, 24, Shamil Dzhamaldayev, 19, Adlan Taramov, 23, Muslim Khamiyev, 26, Musa Yunusov, 54, and his nephew Lom-Ali Yunusov, 20. According to eyewitnesses, the bodies were severely mutilated: their eyes were put out, noses cut through and ears cut off. Besides, the bodies carried a number of stab wounds. All the killed people, residents of the Urus-Martan district, were detained by Russian soldiers in late November and early December.
Only during December Russian soldiers blasted several houses in Urus-Martan. One of the destroyed houses was owned by Yakhita Tsakayeva whose disabled son, confined to bed, was severely beaten. Another blasted house was kept by Nura Musayeva whose twin sons, Khozh-Akhmed and Khozh-Bauddi Musayev, both 24, had been detained by Russian soldiers a month before their house exploded. Getting no reason for their detention, the brothers were transported to the district temporary detention facility. After two days the bodies of the brothers were returned by servicemen of the facility. The brothers apparently died of severe beating as no gunshots or stab wounds were seen on their bodies. Another house blasted by Russian soldiers, that of the Dukuzovs, exploded when the head of the family, Khozh-Akhmed Dukuzov, was inside. Before explosions, the houses had been looted by soldiers seizing only expensive things such as TV sets, videos, carpets and the like.
In their letter of appeal the Urus-Martan district residents call for an investigation of the senseless killings of innocent people by Russian soldiers. The same letters have been sent to journalists working in Chechnya. However, people do not believe much that Russian authorities will secure justice. |
